Crimson Devil's Island Café
by Lefauxlucifer
Summary: Maou and Emi haven't ceased their feud over what occurred in Ente Isle, and the two are now a bit older, in college, and have found a more deadly enemy than each other: finals! With murderous intentions after finishing a work shift, Emi visits a café, and what, or rather, who, she finds there pushes both of them to the brink. Proof that food makes the world go round!
1. The Hero Emilia utterly wastes 10 Yen!

A/N: So how is everyone? This is the first Hataraku Maou-sama fic I've written, and I hope you enjoy it… Though it's nowhere near as well written as someone like extra-victory, just an FYI…

Oh, and this is a revised version of the 1st chapter that's twice as lengthy as the original… I made a few edits that fixed details, props to xxxDreamingflowerxxx for pointing those out. I'm also trying to get caught up on the LN's + edit more thoroughly so this can be as close to the canon as possible.

Disclaimer: I just don't have the sheer amount of luck needed to own an anime/manga franchise or anything worth more than 10,000 ¥, so all rights to the characters go where due.

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Chapter 1: The Hero Emilia utterly wastes 10 ¥!

 _Emi Yusa_

 _Work's almost over, just another few minutes of this god-forsaken torture and I can finally hightail it outta this place and go home… Usually the customers don't have this many obscure complaints, but today…_

I powered off the desktop after the last complaint of the day as my thoughts turned away from resolving complaints and to the much more delightful topic of Alas=Ramus…

 _I hope the Devil King's Castle is taking good care of Alas for me… Ever since I convinced Emeralda to figure out a way to make_ _Holy Vitamin β even more potent and less… experimental, per se, I've been able to maintain enough force to make use of some basic holy magic… And some advanced spell techniques…_

 _Although controlling that catastrophe was a different story entirely… After a full year of research, more than a few sleepless nights, and a couple well-meaning explosions, Emeralda came up with a little something that would allow Alas to defuse, essentially, from my blade at will._

 _Although it required Emeralda to develop an Unholy Vitamin β,_ _ **much against her will**_ _(I honestly don't know which one of us despised the idea more, but she was adamantly and fervently against it, to the point where she measured out an exact amount for solely this one spell)._

She almost brought an army of sorcerers to perform it, but the Overlord took a… rather personal interest after I received a call from him wanting me to attest to his work ethic for one of his professional development reviews… and I inadvertently mentioned it as an excuse to not help him…

Emeralda reluctantly accepted this after thorough deliberation, purely because the favors she'd need to grant if she involved other magic-users were pretty hefty, and- although she would never admit it- the Demon King's magical power happened to rival hers; the sheer amount of energy her spell necessitated required only slight amounts of extra strength if their combined strength was factored in.

 _I almost felt like a third wheel in the equation, after standing next to two of the most competent magic-users of our era…_

 _Especially the tutelage… Just when I thought I'd be getting lessons directly from Emeralda- someone who does this for a living-, the Church invites her for a full-on_ _ **mandatory**_ _inquisition so I'm stuck with the Overlord 'till the actual spell… Apparently the Demon King himself knows a thing or two about sacred spells…_

 _He mentioned something along the lines of "Know thy enemy" and "Lucifer taught me a few tricks, although I never quite got a chance to show you"._

Accepting that help was a different story entirely, -the last time I took his help, I ended up having to bail him out of prison- but since Lord Satan said it would help him in the long run and to think nothing of it, I only have to repay that debt by allowing Alas to frolic around with that- that manifestation of pure, untarnished, unadulterated darkness. And possibly another 5000 ¥ umbrella…

By way of a little magia- Spanish for magic, learned that one pretty quickly from Ping, only the best search engine around- keeping Alas=Ramus in this world of "Japan" for extended periods of time separate from Better Half has been a breeze, but the spell's bound to wear off in another month or so. Having Emeralda cross through the Gate every few months with a bottle of Unholy Vitamin β or two was a small price to pay for being able to push Alus on the swings… Even though I find the origins of said incantations more-than-questionable and the Devil's knowledge of holy magic (not to mention _giving_ him his full strength back) disturbing at best, Alas's smile does more than enough to negate the means…

 _Although it's incessantly exasperating to coerce Alas into going back to Better Half… Usually doesn't happen 'till her strength runs out or one of those assassins makes an entrance… She does get to be a normal kid for a while, and it isn't too taxing on my strength either. People who actually choose to have more than one child… Mine, I can push on the Overlord for a night, but those parents with permanent children… I pray for them…_

 _*Ping*_

I looked down at my phone to find an all-too familiar banner notification appear. Indignant, I rushed through my unlock pattern and opened the Overlord's latest "important" text message.

"Hey, Emi… Remember how I was supposed to take care of Alas? Yeah, well, something came up and I'm kinda busy…"

 _*Ping*_

"Don't worry, Ashiya should be home all day, so she'll be fine…"

 _*Ping*_

"Just letting you know in case you wanna stalk me tonight and check up on her"

 _Well then, Demon King, care to explain what kind of ruler doesn't have the presence of mind to make time for responsibility that_ _ **you**_ _agreed to? You practically wanted to die for her when Gabriel tried to take her away… Thought you'd be mildly happy if I gave you a chance to be with her…_

 _Guess it's time to clock out, head over to the Devil's Castle –if it could really be called a castle- to take proper care of Alas=Ramus… God knows why people have kids these days… Even though she_ _ **is**_ _adorable, I don't know if I'd have her as a child full-time… And more than a few of the children in this world are utterly driven to infuriate their parents…_

 _After all, parenting is a two-person profession, and_ _ **one of us**_ _, not to name names here or anything-rhymes with Wadao Laou- isn't doing his part, especially_ _ **today**_ _…I'm not even supposed to be with her tonight…_

 _Even though it_ _ **is**_ _the Overlord's night tonight, it's not like I mind… that much… The less influence the Overlord has on her, the better, she deserves to grow up to sweet, loving, kind,_ _ **respectable**_ _parents… Who wants to be the daughter of a man -no, boy- who makes pain and suffering his favorite pastime…_

I picked up my phone and walked into the dressing room, eager to leave work and at least do something more enjoyable. Setting it on the bench, I began to change into more casual clothes, something that'd be comfortable enough to sneak around the Villa Rosa Sasazuka building.

 _Well, it's not like it would hurt him to care for a child that's half his or anything, right? She might even change him long enough to distract him when he's at full power so that I can finally kill him, and then the two of us can go find a man more worthy of calling himself her father…_

 _But still, it almost bothers me that the Overlord takes no interest in Alas these days… He was the one who suggested that I ask Emeralda, so he should, at the very least, want to raise her… He has honor or something, right? Even I'd expect a Demon King to live with at least that much honor, right? Isn't there supposed to be honor even among thieves?_

 _Not like_ _ **I**_ _would know or anything… I'm a hero, for Christ's sake! I shouldn't be expected to-to raise a child with…_ _ **him**_ _... Of all the people I've ever met… Maou is just about the worst, the most terrible, horrifying_ _ **monster**_ _you'd ever see; the others don't even come close. I bet even the real Satan_ _would bow before a guy like him…_

 _*Ping*_

"Hey, Emi? Are you getting these? You usually respond so I'm assuming you aren't… Anyways, I tried, so there ya go."

 _*Ping*_

"FYI, Urushihara got a new security camera so you're going to have to improve those stalking skills if you wanna get dirt on us…"

 _*Ping*_

"By the way, I figured out what these "read at" things are… You should probably turn those off if you're going to sit at a desk staring at your phone and not text me back"

 _*Ping*_

"Also, Urushihara tells me Alas is apparently watching Criminal Minds without you… Just thought you should know where her loyalties really lie"

 _My God,_ _you'd think even the Demon King would stop incessantly texting me during work hours… Making Alas watch_ _ **our**_ _shows without me, who does he think he is?_

 _*Ping*_

"Wow, you read that almost instantly… Guess you have no friends and I'm the only one you text, huh?"

I tossed my phone gently onto the bench and changed into something a little more comfortable, albeit more conspicuous in Japan's high-paced work environment. A low-cut t-shirt, slightly-ripped jeans, a baseball cap, and converse shoes made me look like some kind of tourist, but at any rate, a tourist would be justified in walking around the city -and the Devil's Castle- even if they lacked any valid cause.

 _*Ping*_

"Oh, yeah, Emi, our landlady (if you can call her a lady) stopped by and asked if the two of us had gotten any closer… So I told her that our relationship was… greatly intensifying."

I turned the baseball cap to the side a little. Now the Overlord commited the _severe_ mistake of makinng this _personal_ …

 _When he dies-when I_ _ **kill**_ _him, there'll be a new king in Hell. The true Lord Satan will step down willingly, and then he'll be making people suffer for eternity that way, I almost pity his subjects…_

 _Has anyone truly done any wrong great enough to suffer under the rule of the Demon King himself?_

 _*Ping*_

"Technically speaking, I wasn't wrong… The number of death threats and hate mail I've gotten from you _has_ increased substantially…"

 _Certainly is a shame Alas thinks of him as her father… Oh, and a wretched one he is, all right…I'd be happier to lie and say the father left me rather than lie and say I sired a child with- with the Demon King himself…_

 _To be… violated in such a way… by_ _ **him**_ _, that wretched beast… Even if he claimed to love me… Is it even possible for him to… love? I bet he just views women as playthings, to be toyed with and then discarded after use, the jerk!_

 _He doesn't deserve a child like Alas=Ramus… He doesn't deserve the ground he walks on!_

 _Now that I think about it, the only bad thing about work in comparison with home is that Alas isn't here… If we could bring pseudo-children to work, I don't know if I'd ever need to leave…_

"I… will… _kill_ … you," I muttered to myself as I gracefully typed the four words and hit send.

Rika leaned over to peek at my phone. "Evil Demon King Overlord- Never to be trusted… Wonder which one of your few contacts this could be…?"

"Oh, you know, just another guy I met on one of my _voyeuristic_ escapades during my _exceedingly_ dynamic social life that just _bubbles_ with exhilaration," I remarked sardonically, rolling my eyes.

"So it's that Maou guy you always hang around with, right?" Rika inquired, a knowing smile on her face.

"Who else do I know that _isn't_ to be trusted?" I replied, gritting through my teeth and packing up my things as the clock chimed 5:00.

"So, Emi, I guess you're probably too busy to go out to dinner with me tonight?" Rika asked nonchalantly for the umpteenth time, cocking an eyebrow and setting a stack of papers down on her desk.

 _*Ping*_

"So business as usual, then, _Hero_?"

I looked down to read it, then laughed weakly and scratched my head, desperately trying to come up with some excuse that didn't make me seem like a stalker. The Overlord acting this suspicious, texting me 10 times, shirking his responsibility… It seems like the Demon King of Ente Isle is finally back and up to his old tricks… Not too much longer before he does something entirely _stupid_ and I get the chance to kill him in his full glory and make my return to Ente Isle, freeing both of these worlds from their greatest evil.

"Heh heh heh… Sorry, Rika, but you know how things are… After work, I have to catch up on the notes I missed from Tuesday's lecture, and then I have to go watch Alas since Maou is apparently _excessively_ busy to take a turn caring for _his_ child… And then I have to make sure that when she wakes up in the middle of the night, I'm there to lend a hand. You know Ashiya won't be able to hold her captive for much longer and that loser Maou is too busy with whatever he does in his free time…"

 _What does the Overlord do in the nighttime these days anyways? He_ _ **is**_ _old enough to go to a strip club, I guess, and brothels are open if he really wanted to-_

 _Goddamnit, Emi, you aren't supposed to be focusing on dumb stuff like that! You're supposed to kill Maou the first chance you get, not take an interest in if he sleeps alone! The Demon King must be killed! And by my own hand, no less!_

I snatched the phone away from Rika's prying eyes and typed a quick message telling him just how much I hated him.

"You've gone back to your I-loathe-Maou-with-every-fiber-of-my-being phase again, huh? Wonder what he did this time?… My, my, my, did he happen to catch _someone else_ while they fell down his stairs?" Rika cautiously-but-impishly inquired.

"Why would _I_ be the slightest bit concerned about what he's been up to with anyone else? For all I care, he can screw every girl in a mile radius, just so long as I'm not involved," I articulated, the words glistening with honesty.

Paging through a thick book, she began again, "You must be real mad at him today then, huh? _Really livid_ at that Maou with his _broad_ shoulders and _chiseled_ jawline? Mad enough to punish him, I bet… Maybe tie him up and throw him on a bed, climbing on top of him, hungrily, lustfully, until your primal instincts-,"Rika smirkingly inquired, turning a page.

My cheeks reddened. "Rika!" I began, standing up and turning away, nearly choking on the disgust her picturesque situation. "Where do you get something as _twisted_ as that from? Like I would _ever_ try something like that… The only one who would stoop _that_ low is Maou, and it's probably the only way he'd even get _close_ to my bedroom," I mused, playing it off as if it was just another normal, ordinary comment Rika made.

"You know what I didn't hear you saying, Emi?" Rika rhetorically inquired as she placed a finger on my shoulder in a knowing fashion. "You never told me you _didn't_ want him in your bedroom, gently using his finger to trace through the valley between your breasts, up to your chin, all the while whispering his _undying_ love for you in your ear, you practically _begging_ him to-" Rika's grin grew as she flipped through pages, barely scanning them before moving on to the next ones.

"Rika, why don't you take those _perverted_ thoughts of yours and write an erotic novel or something? Honestly, if anyone does, I think _you_ wanna get in Maou's pants," I articulated, brushing it off while furiously blushing and preparing to leave.

At this point, it might've been futile to deny that I possessed some amount of feelings for the Overlord, but until I knew just what I _was_ feeling, I wasn't about to tell anyone anything. Especially Rika; the first thing she'd do is walk over to MgRonald's on her lunch break and give him an anonymous tip. I gagged and vomited a little in my mouth before Rika began again.

"What do you mean, "write an erotic novel"? What do you think I'm reading anyways?" Rika looked up indignantly, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you're-"

She turned the book so I could read what she was so engrossed in. After a few paragraphs, I more than understood where she got her material from.

"It's titled _Held at Gunpoint_ , about a cold-blooded killer whose target is a beautiful heiress, but they end up falling desperately in love with each other. The girl is _pretty_ _tsundere;_ in the beginning, she claims that the man is the worst evil that humanity's ever faced, but I'm around 50 pages from the end and the guy saves her life and the girl _totally_ falls for him and-" Rika began, clearly too mesmerized by this particular fancy of hers, rotating the book so I could view the lewd imagery on its cover.

"And it's also a _purely_ fictional work… Keep _that_ in mind when you're going off about the real world… Here, cold-blooded killers… _stay_ cold-blooded killers," I sniffed at the very thought of the Demon King changing his ways.

 _A leopard will never change its spots… And an Overlord will never stop trying to conquer Ente Isle…_

"Whatever… It's not like you have a child with him or anything, now is it? I bet Alas wouldn't mind if you two were really _Mama and Papa_?" Rika taunted, knowing full well the answer to _that_ question. As soon as Alas=Ramus discovered the amusement that was Bring-Your-Child-to-Work-Day, she wouldn't stop, and after Rika spent a day with Alas…

"I-I didn't have _his_ child or anything… It just fell from the sky and-"

"We aren't in grade school, Emi, to believe that kids _just_ fall from the sky… Even if _I_ know what really happened, no one else's going to believe something that far-fetched… You might as well get married and have a _real_ kid with him, might find out he's better than the others who've caught your eye…"

"What? Rika, I-I… You- Never in a million years would I even dream of doing an act a-as _sacred_ and _pure_ and holy as _that_ with an _idiot_ like-"

"You're right, Emi, they probably aren't dreams, more like fantasies, the kind that you fall asleep peacefully to after a charming bout of _exhaustive_ , _hormonally-induced exercise_ … But if you really wanted to, I really don't think Maou's the type of guy that would stop a girl from pushing him _forcefully_ against a wall, _ripping_ his shirt off, _shredding_ his boxers off, and having her way with-"

"Rika!"I exclaimed indignantly, my cheeks almost _burning_ from the sheer amount of blood that rushed to them so suddenly.

"What? This book is really descriptive of the more intimate interactions between- Wait, wait, wait… Don't tell me you're… a _virgin_ , Emi?"

"So what if I was? Is that really such a _bad_ thing, Rika? Maybe I'm just keeping myself for the right person?... You know, the status quo really isn't something _I_ need to please!..." My voice trailed off as I huffed, turning back to face her.

"Not only do you have a flat chest, but you're also untouched… Bet _even_ the cute lolis Maou gets to manage are larger then you, eh?"

My eyes grew wider as Rika pulled out a sandwich in a sealed plastic bag, took a bite out of it, and mulled regarding her next course of action, pausing as if to find the most tactful way to illustrate her point. She frowned and rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

"When was the last time you had dinner with someone?" Rika asked out of genuine curiosity.

"Wh-Why does something like that matter?"

"It's nothing, Emi… It's just… You know, we're friends and all… And even if you want me to stay out of your personal life… It's not like I'm going to let any of those wolves get to you… I tried to get you a little riled up about the subject, and it happened to work a bit… too well, if I may say so myself… All of the care you've taken into concealing… well, _something_ , makes me wonder if you've been seeing someone on the sly without running it past me first. Not to pry or anything, but having seen my fair share of men, I know what kind of _demons_ they can be…" Rika mused with sincere concern, seriously pondering the true cause of my agitation.

 _Oh, Rika… You don't even know the half of it… Unfortunately, I'm fully aware of just how truthful that last statement happened to be._

"You know, there's only one reason that you'd be concerned about other people's love lives _and_ read trashy novels…"

"What do you mean, Emi? I don't need a reason to worry about my friends or anything…"

Rika tensed up for a second, scowling. Regaining her composure, she murmured softly in a barely-audible low voice, "Drop the subject, Emi, and no one gets hurt…"

"Boyfriend broke up with you?" I posed the question to gauge if my guess at her motive for saying that was correct.

Rika's visage became sullen, abruptly shifting to one of rage as she grabbed my shoulders and began to throttle me, causing the already loose-fitting baseball cap to wobble on my head… You know, in the amicable way best girlfriends do, of course?...

"Over text, Emi! Over a text! Of all things, a simple text! He doesn't even have the decency to tell me _in person_ that he wants to see other girls? All I'm worth is a simple line of text saying that we're over and he's found someone else?"

 _My guess proved to be almost too true… Maybe I shouldn't have said anything…_

 _Then again, I remember how Rika went on and on about this one and how he wasn't going to end up like the rest of 'em…_

 _After all Rika had done for me, it'd be insensitive to not bring something as tragic-well, to her, anyways- as a breakup as a topic of discourse._

Rika halted her more-than-violent shaking of _moi_ to face me, tears dripping from her chin onto her neck, some trailing down even further. Managing a weak smile, she opened her mouth.

"Just- Emi… If a guy ever does that to you, drop me a line… I have a mean left hook, you know?"

I smiled back. "You wanna tell me where he lives?"

 _Even without summoning Better Half, I could probably take out a guy or two if I was forced into a fight…_

"Nah, Emi… He isn't worth the blood you'd get on your hands, 'sides… there'll be others… Speaking of others… if you have _zero_ plans of making a move on Maou –which I neither endorse nor condone-, I'd recommend you at least check out this café on Third and Main… It's really close to where you live, and it _just_ opened. I've only been there once or twice, but… Their blueberry pie is sublime and I can't help but wanting to _kill_ for more… It's a bit like your obsession with Maou, take that how you will… The cashiers/waiters are kinda cute too, and God _knows_ you could use a date or two…" Rika puckishly grinned, her eyes turning lustful as she imagined the variety activities Emi would be exposed to. "And if you enjoy it… I'd _love_ to go with you sometime, you know…"

"Fine, fine, I'll go visit when I'm free, I guess. Just don't make a big deal of me going, kay? And if you happen to stop at a MgRonald's near Hatagaya Station _… Not one word out of you_ ," I muttered just softly enough for her to hear it.

"What makes you think I'd have to? Isn't it destiny that you and _Maou_ met? Destiny that you and him would eventually decide that your lives were meant to be one?" Rika breathed out a lovelorn sigh, hearts about to burst out of her eyes.

"Seriously, Rika, write a freaking romance novel. Just copy that one and change the names…That junk is _bound_ to get a publisher, and before you know it, you won't even have to _work_ here for a living, much less at all. Just send me a check or buy me a house or something when you're rich and famous, kay?" I asked, waving my hand to properly convey the sheer absurdity of such an notion.

"Sure, sure, darling, I'd be _happy_ to buy you a house… Only condition is that it'll have a single bedroom… And you'll have to _share_ it with your beloved Maou," Rika teased singsongingly.

 _This… has gone far enough, Emi… This is neither the time nor place to go psycho, right? Just because Rika keeps placing thoughts in my head and words in my mouth doesn't mean I have to respond in kind?..._

 _But if Rika says anything else, there's no telling what might happen… I might cause a huge ruckus on company time, embarrass myself even more than she already has… Get fired from this job and have to find another one._

 _No, I can't get fired. It wasn't enough that the devil himself got promoted to shift manager so quickly, but nowadays, he's the goddamn assistant manager. Only God knows who thought giving him a promotion and a raise was a good idea, but he's done nothing more than lord it over me nonstop ever since… If I get fired, I'll never hear the end of it, and then Maou would actually be doing his part to support Alas…_

 _Can't let that happen, no way, no how… Not with college to pay for as well… And I even have classes tomorrow, so I better get going, hit that café, and leave. Maybe I'll grab a treat for Alas, being the good parent-the only parent-I have a reputation to keep up, don't I?_

"Quitting while I'm ahead today, Rika… I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, leaving before waiting for a reply and using my hand to signal that I was done for the day… and that there was nothing more Rika could say that would reach my ears. We'd had enough chitchat concerning Maou for one day… For the rest of my life, surely.

 _If I never heard that name again, it'd be too soon, wouldn't it?_

I walked down the street, following the instructions Rika texted me, tactfully ignoring the heart-shaped emojis and suggestive innuendos.

 _The day I let Maou get in my panties is the day Maou becomes CEO of MgRonald's and rules Ente Isle! The day Rika stays with a guy for more than two weeks! The day that- well, I'm here now, no turning back…_

"Well, here we are, the famed Crimson Devil's Island Café… Name's a bit off but apparently _Rika_ thinks the meals are beyond excellent, and it's not exactly like she doesn't have taste… Food that I thought was absolutely splendid, she thought mediocre, and her cooking is simply heavenly. Life ain't fair… Life just _ain't_ fair… She _even_ has freaking parents," I mused.

"Even if the café is eerily named, it's well-lit, and it's just barely 6:00 PM, so it's not like they'd try anything _this_ early… 'Sides, if none of their supposedly "cute" waiters or cashiers managed to engage Rika in two-person pushups, I doubt they're really something to worry about…" my voice trailed off as I opened the door and the bell rang, sounding not unlike organ music. I entered to see something quaint, old-school, and the flooring made the place look volcanic. It was a completely black café that looked like entirely males had designed it. The café wasn't beautiful, per se, it was… striking, and completely void of anyone except for black hair and a hand vigorously wiping down the tables.

 _Oh, Christ, it can't be… can it? But it doesn't look like this guy's going to be looking up anytime soon either…_

"Hey, idiot! A customer's here… Aren't you going to ask me what I want?" I yelled, justifiably mad at the sheer lack of service.

He didn't even look up as I proceeded to grab a pen out of my purse and throw it at him like a shuriken. A cheap pen, mind you, the kind that you buy from a Seiya, 10 for 100 ¥. Not like I was about to waste good money on anyone, of course, 'specially not a café guy who wouldn't even look up at me!

He finished cleaning the tables, glanced over at the pen and pocketed it, and then went to the register, scanning the area around it for a notepad. Then, picking it up, he waltzed over to me, looked up so I could clearly see his face, and put the notepad in his back pocket before sighing, grimacing all the way.

 _Beautiful... There are 7 billion people in the world and the one I run into here is the Demon King?!… Really? Really?_

 _Why on Ente Isle do you have to be every goddamn place I'm in? It's not enough I have Physics with you, or that I have to take an Economics class with you? Or even that I have to raise quite possibly the most adorable child to ever walk the Earth with you? You just_ _ **have**_ _to work in the café I happen to walk into?_

 _I could just drop those courses anytime… But if I've been stuck in Japan for 6 years and I want to stop living in a condo by my own means… Getting any promotion at a decent place like a Docodemo center or even a MgRonald's means possessing –to some extent- a formal education._

 _When the Demon King signed up for them, I assumed he unearthed a class that taught magical lore or theory, but it was just another part of his "scheme" to conquer this world…_

 _Maybe I figured it would be interesting in the beginning, at least the challenge of the class itself, but with Mr. Know-it-all raising his hand for every question –and that's when he doesn't blurt out the answer- nothing's really that entertaining about it. It'd be amusing if the Overlord got something wrong for once, but somehow, it never happens when I'm around…_

I looked back at my sworn enemy, who harbored a less-than-pleasant gaze at finding me here. The feeling was definitely mutual…

 _Why couldn't one of those "cute waiters" be here instead? Why couldn't I meet one of them?_

"Damnit, the Hero found me again? And after I didn't mention this job to anyone at MgRonald's… All right, Emilia, spill! Who told you that I'd be here? I want names, I want emails, I want answers!"

"Don't think I'm any happier to see you here either… But I didn't come here to argue, came here for the food… Although if you're the one who owns this place, I'm out. What'd you do, anyways, to get a place like this? Get MgRonald's to spot you 1,000,000 ¥?"

The Demon King laughed heartily at my expense. "Oh, naïve, stupid Emi… You really think _I_ could get a loan like that with Dullahan, an umbrella, and around a month's salary as collateral? With my magic back, it'd be a cinch, but in my present weakened state…"

"So who's the "Crimson Devil" supposed to be if it's not the Demon King?" I inquired, performing the air-quotes for extra flair.

"That's… not exactly my secret to tell, and even if it was, what makes you think I'd tell you so easily?"

"Whatever, Overlord, just gimme some blueberry pie and I'll be out of your hair for the night, kay?"

"Sorry, Emi, don't think we're able to serve _your_ kind here… Not a single drop of white in this place, nope, not even one. Unless you wanna rip out that Sacred Sword and go all Super Saiyan on me anytime soon?"

I stood there, stunned, paralyzed, utterly unable to retort with anything remotely witty. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a 10,000 ¥ note and thrust it in his face.

"Seems you can't understand Japanese, but I think everyone in this world knows that money talks. So, what'll this much get me?"

He looked at the piece of paper, then back to me before clearing his throat and pulling out a notepad.

"So what'll it be, Emi? Might I suggest the house specialty? I positively love it, and it's a tried and true favorite, so how about it?… You're in luck, we happen to have one slice left," Maou smiled innocently, heading behind the counter, pulling out a plate. "You up for some Devil's food cake, _Hero_?"

* * *

A/N: And with that, chapter 1 concludes… It wasn't as cliffhanger-ish as I'd usually make things, but I hope it's enough to pique your interest! As always, any feedback is greatly appreciated, and I'd love it if y'all would review! Chapter 2'll be Monday of next week –most likely _way_ shorter than 5K+ words-, so I hope that makes your next Monday _that_ much sweeter…

Think I'm giving myself too much credit with that one…

Well, excelsior!

~Lefauxlucifer


	2. The Demon King makes a mean milkshake!

A/N: Yeah, yeah, I said Monday and now it's Tuesday but y'all really don't wanna hear why so I'll spare you that… Also, for those of you here that haven't read the revised version of the first chapter, I'd suggest you go do that cuz it's twice as long and does a better job of keeping it real… Also, this chapter occurs one week in the past from the first, just an fyi…

Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Anything. All rights to the characters go where due.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Demon King makes a mean strawberry shake!

 _Sadao Maou_

 _*Ring* *Ring* *Ring*_

 _Ugh, can't a guy get some sleep? Ever since Kisaki made me assistant manager of her MgRonald's… It's like I'm on call now or something._

 _You know, usually, I wouldn't complain about working, 'specially since I get paid, but I took extra special care to remind Kisaki-san that today was my day off…_

 _I even made plans to go shopping with Ashiya and get Urushihara off his lazy ass today so I could buy a new bike since they're having a semi-annual sale at Seiya this week…_

 _Don't get me wrong, I realize that Dullahan's keeping up, but… it definitely has seen better days… No thanks to a certain Hero Emilia…_

I groggily reached an arm out of the covers of the one bed Devil's Castle now possessed and felt around for my phone, finally finding it and ripping the charger from the wall, more forcefully than I'd rip out Emi's lungs so she'd stop talking to me for once. I touched around the answer area on the screen, not daring to open my eyes even a millimeter.

"Kisaki-san, isn't it too early to be out of bed? The sun isn't even awake yet," I groaned, just barely peering out of my eyelids to see absolute darkness.

 _I think even my soul might be brighter than this room… I didn't think such darkness was possible. If I fought the Hero in this environment with enough training…_

"What could you possibly mean, Maou-kun? It's already 4 AM! I'll have you know, I've had 95 customers come through in the last two hours. Nighttime is profit time, Maou-kun!..."

 _Ah, good ol' Kisaki-san, always thinking about her bottom line, as usual… Never thinking about how little sleep comes between midnight and whatever the hell it is now…_

"What does _any_ of this have to do with me, Kisaki-san? It's my day off… I wanna sleep until at least 6 today… After how long I stayed up last night…"

I yawned into my phone, hoping Kisaki would catch my drift. Subtly, however, was not something the woman understood.

"Of those 95 customers, 68 have requested to be served by you, and I have three elderly women who won't go away 'till they see you…"

 _Oh, God, not those three again… At least they didn't come back with the other one… I guess I could deal with three old ladies if I had to, but if the four of them were together…_

"Kisaki… I've worked like 50 hours this week alone… Can't I have one day off?"

 _I already have 10 hours of overtime pay raked up… And even if I'm going to spend a little on that new bike… Ashiya has a stash somewhere that he can use to buy groceries, right? The Devil's Castle will be fine even without a little bit more…_

"You get paid not only overtime, but also 5% of our total profits, Maou-kun…"

"But I can't even see my hands, Kisaki-san…"

 _I got one on the phone but where's the other? I can feel it but where did this other one go? My human form should still have two, right? That's how it's been these past few years… Why is it changing now?_

"I'll pay you 7%, but that's my final offer."

"Money can only go so far, Kisaki-san… But having to work that insane 17-hour shift yesterday means my back is killing me and I'm stiff all over, Kisaki-san…"

 _I came to cook hash browns at 5 AM and Kisaki-san made me stay until midnight… I never even got to take my dinner break because it was too busy to step out for even a quick restroom break. Customer after customer after customer after…_

 _So many orders… So many angry customers that Kisaki-san made me handle… I get chills just thinking about it…_

" _I_ made you who you are, Maou-kun, and _I_ can take it all away just as easily… And I know just who to make your replacement… You think that Emi girl's interested in a raise?"

 _There is no way in hell I'm going to let that red-haired bitch get anywhere close to my job. I'd rather die than have her say that she's the new-_

She had me between a rock and a hard place. No one, mortal, holy, or unholy, had the guts or stupidity to ignore Mayumi Kisaki's threats. If she wanted to, she'd probably be general manager of all the MgRonald's in Japan, just by asking nicely and then baring her teeth…

 _If Kisaki-san tried to conquer Ente Isle… She'd be able to defeat the Hero with a single one of her death glares… If I only had her as the commander of my Eastern forces…_

 _But it's best not to dwell on past regrets…_

"No, no, that's fine, Kisaki-san, I'm fine with coming in today. In fact, if I hang up now, I bet I can make it to Hatagaya Station by 4:15! It's really quite all right, Kisaki-san. I'll just take the day off whenever it's convenient for you"

 _So I'm never getting that day off, am I? I'm starting to think this promotion was so Kisaki-san would have an excuse to bring me in at all hours, even if they weren't the waking hours…_

"Glad you were able to see things from my perspective, Maou-kun. I'll see you in a few minutes then… And make sure to bring your A-game! We're really going to need it today," Kisaki-san's voice trailed off in a sing-song pattern.

 _Every day's an A-game day when Kisaki's your manager… Although that's probably to be expected from Kisaki-san… It's probably the reason we're the best in our region for sales and customer service this year…_

I pulled myself off of the bed and into what would be considered a nearly-perfect plank position, taking a few moments to stretch myself out until I was able to fully regain control of my motions without inducing too much pain.

I folded up the covers neatly , tiptoeing on the floor so Ashiya and Urushihara would stay asleep while I lightly flicked the closet door open with my wrist and took out my spare MgRonald's work uniform, folding it up into a bag and bringing it, brushing my teeth on the way. I placed the toothbrush on the counter next to the sink and began putting on my shoes while chewing the first thing I could pull out of the fridge before the light could turn on.

One of the perks of having a decently old fridge is that if you want to get a midnight snack, you can easily do so without brightness flashing in your roommates' eyes and them throwing MgRonald's food containers, drink cups, wrappers, and whatever other junk happens to be unfortunately lying around them, at you.

 _Just love it when that happens… The last time I left the fridge open long enough, Urushihara threw half-full drinks and open sauce containers at me… Ashiya was not happy about how much detergent I had to waste to clean my clothes after that fiasco…_

Biking at what I considered to be the speed of light itself, I raced to the MgRonald's near Hatagaya Station, almost flying through the door and rushing into the dressing room to change out of yesterday's work uniform.

I admit, it _may_ have been more practical to change out of it when I got home last night, but sometimes, you lie on the bed, tell yourself it'll be 5 minutes, and then stay there for the next four hours until your manager wakes you up and gets you to work another shift.

After the morning breakfast rush, things started to cool down a little. Customers started being reasonable… I had a lady in the drive-through who stayed there until we found her daughter a rabbit toy for her Happy Meal, and a guy who wanted us to make him thirty Big Breakfasts… so we had to hold his order for a while… And then… It started pouring and since everyone else found a way to be busy, Kisaki-san made me run in the torrential downpour… But I do get paid a portion of the profits today, so…

As I finished up a sale, a gust of wind rolled in and the doors flew open, almost by… magic. A slim man in a crisply tailored grey suit walked in nonchalantly, as if the world was put on hold for his arrival.

His jet-black hair seemed freshly slicked back and his facial hair was cleanly shaven, save for the faintest glimmer of a goatee. This guy definitely meant business;the suit jacket he wore was probably at least 50,000 ¥… Easily more than what I've seen for a few months of work. I prepared my best smile and mentally readied myself for anything.

After all, with these rich-guy types, it's anyone's can turn out to be the nicest person you've met, they can think the world is their playground, they can be hellbent on making you suffer… Truly anything's possible…

I cleared my throat before opening my mouth to greet him, as per company policy.

"Good morning, sir, how are you today?"

A demonic grin rose to his face as a mischevious glint came into his eyes. "I'm doing perfectly fine, milord, and how are you feeling today?"

 _Mi-milord… there's no way a-a simple guy like this knows who I truly am, right? He's joking… Maybe that's just how rich guys call everyone or something?_

 _I wouldn't know, I personally find myself in the almost-penniless walk of life, so…_

"Well, slightly tired but none the worse for the wear," I sheepishly replied, remembering to be as relatable and honest in my answers as possible. "All righty, sir, what can I get you today? Which of our fine products are you most interested in? Or would you like me to suggest something off the menu?"

 _After the customer gets his order, everything should be fine and I'll stop hearing milord's… Maybe this is just Ashiya using a little bit of magic, and old habits die hard?..._

 _But then again… where would Ashiya find dark magic?... And why wouldn't he have told_ _ **me**_ _about it?_

"I'll have two large strawberry shakes, milord, and if you could drizzle some caramel atop the whipped cream, I'd be much obliged," the concerning character replied.

"Will that be all, sir?"

"Yes, yes, that'll be all, and… I'll have it for here, milord…"

"627 ¥ is your total, sir," I articulated, smiling as best I could.

 _I finally make more than twice that an hour here… I could buy four of those and go home…_

 _Although Ashiya'd be outraged at the very thought…_

 _Come to think of it, if this guy_ _ **was**_ _Ashiya, he'd be able to project a rich appearance but he'd never order something that expensive, even if it's not really that much…_

 _No, the real Ashiya would've gone for the cheapest menu item we had, which wouldn't be hard to find for him since I leave spare copies of it lying around the house…_

The man pulled out a black leather wallet with gold trim and proceeded to sift through multiple different currencies.

"Here's a 50… Will that do?" he inquired, holding out a 50,000 ¥ banknote. I checked it to make sure it was real, then called Kisaki-san over to make some quick change.

While I waited, I poured two perfect strawberry milkshakes, and my whipped cream technique hadn't seen a better day than this one. Even the caramel on top was perfect and the cherry's finishing touch was magnificent… If I could take a picture… I'd have the new display photo for MgRonald's strawberry shake… It was a proud moment in my life.

 _Yup, this is a perfect note…Or a perfect replica… And there's no way Ashiya would be able to cast magic to project something like that with just a computerized image… Seeing as how Ashiya's never laid eyes on one of these –hell, when we first got here and I started working, I thought the 50,000 ¥ banknote was some sort of urban legend… I thought that kind of wealth simply wasn't possible for someone to achieve and squander like this…_

 _There isn't a single doubt in my mind then… This guy definitely isn't the demon general I fought side by side with against the Hero Emilia…_

 _But if this guy isn't Ashiya… Who_ _ **is**_ _he really? Some envoy of Heaven, here to try and steal Alas=Ramus again? Or is he after me in particular…?_

The composed general store manager's eyes widened as she shivered. "Fi-Fifty thousand yen? I-I don't even think we keep half that much in the store!" Kisaki said in a panic as she frantically scrambled for his change. Just yesterday, Kisaki-san deposited all of the store's profits, and all we had on hand for change was today's totals, nothing more, nothing less…

 _Even after taking out every coin and bill in the store, we almost reached it, but in the end… Somehow we wound up still a full 1,000 ¥ short… Is there no mercy in this world?_

"It's quite alright, ma'am… I probably should've stopped at a bank or something and gotten a few thousand or something," the peculiar man apologized, saying more than a few sumimasens and scratching his head, most likely unused to the attention of the rather attractive woman in front of him… At least, I've been told Kisaki-san is attractive, and Sariel seems to agree…

"Oh, no, it's really our fault, sir… If there's any way I can make up the thousand yen difference… Is there anything else you would like? We can let you come around the back and make whatever you want…" Kisaki-san began, her face actually a flushed red. It was the first time I had seen Kisaki Mayumi-san embarassed… Until now, I didn't know such a mode existed…

 _Perhaps she finds_ _this man attractive in the same way Sariel finds her? Or rather, maybe the profits and publicity he could bring to this store are what's causing this?..._

"Uh, actually, if you could let me know when this young man here goes on break… I'd like to have a little chat with him, that is, if you don't mind…" came the booming voice from the frivolously spending man.

Kisaki-san practically tossed me out the Employees-Only door and into the restaurant, not bothering to concern herself with my personal safety.

"You have 10 minutes exact, Maou-kun. After that, I'll be taking 10 ¥ off your paycheck for each second," Kisaki-san sternly articulated while waving her finger back and forth to indicate that although she might sound –to the untrained passerby's ear- as if she were joking, she was 200% serious, and that I was lucky she was only threatening me with 10 ¥.

I picked myself up off of the ground, brushed the dust lightly away from myself, careful not to get any on the customers. The man picked a table at the end and sat down, tearing through the straw wrapper before inserting the straw carefully into one of the strawberry m ilkshakes. He motioned me over with a few flicks of his wrist and I marched to meet him. Sitting in the seat opposite him, I raised my eyebrow.

The question was clearly visible, albeit implicit.

 _Why? Why did you call me out here? Why now, when there are innocent lives around? W hy have you done nothing to show me even who's side you're on…?_

After installing the second straw into the remaining milkshake, he slid it over to me, yawning. I looked over at the clock, reflexively. It was only 11:06 but he was somehow already tired.

"Well, milord, I guess it's already been a long day for both of us… So, drink up and ask away, Overlord… I'm sure you're just _dying_ to know _something_ , aren't you?

Well, he wasn't wrong…

"All right, sir… For starters, why MgRonald's? Was it our hospitality that lured you in? Our delicious, nutritious selection of nourishment? Our low prices?"

"Oh, come now, Lord Satan… I didn't come all this way simply to stop at a MgRonald's for a quick snack… Surely there must be a more pertinent inquiry for you to make, milord?..."

 _No one in this store should know me by… that name… Save for Chi-chan, but that's only because she's been in the wrong place at the wrong time…_

I took a long sip of the strawberry shake, waiting until the sugar kicked in before I opened my mouth.

"Well, if you want to me to be more blunt, all you had to do was ask, sir… So how's about you tell me where you're coming up with all these "milord"s and "Lord Satan" and "Overlord" from, huh?" I asked, trying my best to sound polite to a customer but mildly worried that it came off as reticent. After all, this was my restaurant, and we had a customer service reputation to uphold… Well, almost my restaurant…

Kisaki-san was still my boss, but before long, she'll be promoted to an area supervisor or a director of operations, so the MgRonald's at Hatagaya station was essentially in my clutches… All Kisaki-san's been doing for the past few months was training her replacement…

"See, all it took was a simple few sentences and now we've cut to the chase… You and I both know you aren't _really_ Sadao Maou, Demon King… And I think it's futile, at this point, to pretend otherwise…"

My questioning look turned into a downright death glare that even Kisaki-san would be proud of.

"Where is this conversation going exactly?..." my voice trailed off.

"You hope to bring this world and the next to its knees, don't you? And in that case, I have a proposition for you, Demon King… I think you'll find it suitable to your newfound tastes…"

* * *

A/N: And with that, chapter 2 draws to a close… I wanted to drag things out, so this one probably isn't what you thought it'd be… Next time will be back to present-day, or at least, the present to Emi and Maou… Even the past _is_ the present to the past version of us. As always, any feedback is greatly appreciated… Y'all should review… Having notifications makes me happier than strawberry shakes… And this time, chapter 3'll be Monday of next week, for sure, cuz it's already in the works… so I hope that makes you look forward to a Monday?

~Lefauxlucifer


	3. The Hero fails to request blueberry pie!

A/N: So yeah, I'll probably just update on Tuesdays instead of Mondays… Anyways, that's enough from me, listening to me ramble isn't the main attraction here…

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Chapter 2: The Hero completely fails to request blueberry pie!

 _Sadao Maou_

"What kind of proposition?..." I asked inquisitively, unready to accept anything from someone's who I didn't know so much as the name of. If there's one thing I've learned from my days as a conqueror, it's to know everyone, enemy or friend, inside, and out… Front-to-back, side-to-side, any way you can to gain an advantage in some way, somehow.

"The kind that will give you and I everything we could ever dream of having… And more…" came the words from the raven-haired man in the finely-tailored suit as he rubbed his thumb against his chin, proceeding to move it across his jawline and down to his neck, stopping as he reached his adam's apple and pausing to look at me, a smirk rising to his face.

I pursed my lips, quite speechless at the moment, unsure of exactly what the right –or most strategic- course of action was… After all, this kind of negotiation junk isn't my forte… It's Ashiya's, that's why I made him my right hand, so he could strategize the hell out of those Ente Isle _humans_ … Even the brilliant magic of a man –no, genius- like Ashiya couldn't trounce a unrelenting force like Emilia Justina, the Hero.

 _But if what this guy's offering me happens to be the truth…Everything I could ever dream of having?_

 _Everything, eh? That means I could get rid of the Hero Emilia, right? Be free of that wretched wench once and for all?_

 _I'd never have to wake up to her banging on my door at ungodly hours again? I'd never have to clean up after her if she messes up orders or doesn't push the button on the shake machine or forgets to sweep up the lobby? Not once more would I have to endure_

 _This… sounds promising…But to take him at face value… I'm going to need some convincing, even if I don't exactly have the upper hand in this matchup._

"If you were to be correct in what you say… I'd be a fool… No, more than a fool to pass up such an opportunity… But… I can't trust you if I don't know who you are…" I hesitated, careful to make the words flow in a fashion that made my words a question that necessitated an answer, rather than a bold statement intended to cause offense.

"Of course, of course… A Demon King could not be bothered to remember the name of his vassals… If you doubt my power or lack faith in my capabilities to aid you…" he articulated, his voice trailing into an inaudible spiral as he reached into his suit jacket and removed a small container, gently offering it to me.

 _Hmmm… Well, if he wanted to poison me, he could've easily slipped something into the shake before I drank it… After all, I wasn't watching the security cameras when I changed and walked over here, so he would've easily gotten away with it..._

 _Furthermore, if he wanted to hex me, I would've felt his magic as it worked its way through my system, so trying to get me with this one would be poor planning, and this gentleman doesn't seem to have any lack of thought…_

 _He wanted to talk with me, and probably figured most stores wouldn't carry a total of 50,000 ¥ and cleverly used one to lure Kisaki-san into letting me finish up a shift early so we could talk…_

 _Given that he probably has enough power to kill me -50,000 ¥ could easily buy one a few highly-trained assassins- and he hasn't I have to assume his objective isn't to harm me in any way, shape or form… It's simply to gain… knowledge, maybe? My trust?_

Raising an eyebrow, I cautiously took it from his hands, grasping it tightly. I sipped, once, twice, then downing nearly half the container as I recognized the taste and true identity of the concoction.

"U-unholy Vitamin-"

"I am merely your humble servant, my liege. So as you say, so shall it be done…"

My eyes narrowed, unsure of whether to be in awe or fearful of this newfound peculiar character, and my pulse quickened.

"Ah, but you still have one question unanswered, do you not? Well, Demon King, it _is_ quite unfair for me to know who you are without you knowing who I am… Whether I am an enemy or your dearest friend… Someone like you would consort with both, and know everyone better than yourself…"

The man took a deep breath and let it out, getting out of his seat and cleanly tossing his now-empty milkshake in the trash, leaving the same way he came. His clean hands left perfect fingerprints on the clear Plexiglas I cleaned not 15 minutes ago, much to my dismay. As I walked out with him, careful not to smudge my workplace's entrance any further, I felt a breezy chill run past me, but the man seemed strangely unaffected, as if the wind itself halted upon feeling his presence.

"So… You planning to tell me who you are yet?..." I inquired, growing somewhat impatient of his mental games.

 _The only one who gets to play with my mind is me… And maybe Alas every once in a while…_

"You wish to know my name, young one?" he opened his mouth, chuckling to himself as he began again, "Even the almighty Queen of Angels herself wouldn't ask something of me so boldly… But I suppose you deserve at least that much… Quite simply put, I am…"

 _Emi Yusa_

Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a 10,000 ¥ note and thrust it in his face.

"Seems you can't understand Japanese, but I think everyone in this world knows that money talks. So, what'll this much get me?"

He looked at the piece of paper, then back to me before clearing his throat and pulling out a notepad. "So what'll it be, Emi? Might I suggest the house specialty? I positively love it, and it's a tried and true favorite, so how about it?… You're in luck, we happen to have one slice left," Maou smiled innocently, heading behind the counter, pulling out a plate. "You up for some Devil's food cake, _Hero_?"

We traded hands and I moved to a table for two, the smallest seating. As Maou ran behind the counter to -most likely- make change for the bill, I picked up the spoon, toying with it as I waited for him to return.

The Demon King huffed, rolled his eyes, handing my 10,000 ¥ back to me, intact, untouched.

 _What, has the Overlord had a sudden spell of kindness or does this store not even carry change for a mere 10,000 ¥?_

"You're in luck, Emi… I'm too lazy to make change for a 10,000 ¥ bill right now, 'specially since I have to close this place up and then go to my shift at MgRonald's… So as long as you tell me how it is… Your cake's on the house," he explained sardonically, looking down on me the entire time.

 _Well, sloth_ _ **is**_ _one of the seven deadly sins, and being the Demon King, it'd be kind of unnatural if he didn't display some kind of flaw…_

 _Still, the Demon King is sacrificing profit for his whimsicalities… It's almost like he-he's glad I'm here…_

 _Emi, you're reading too far into it… Free cake! End of story…_

"And you have to come back sometime, and bring some actual cash with you… The cake is only a few hundred yen, but if my boss finds out, well…" he added warily, gauging my reaction to his statement.

"Gwah?" was apparently the most intelligent reply my intellect managed to grant me.

I lifted my head defiantly, not in any way eager to give the Demon King the last word in this conflict.

The Demon King rolled his eyes, something I'd never seen him do in public before… Since it was just the two of us, his real personality was beginning to show. If anyone else saw the rude, egotistical maniac in front of me for what he was… We'd have a whole 'nother situation on our hands right now.

"Eat the cake, come back sometime… Preferably with exact change," the monster answered me bluntly, in a fashion that was purely intended to provoke me…

And, well… It worked.

"What makes you think this store is worthy of repeat business?"

The Overlord laughed uncontrollably, almost too much, as if he was trying to put on a show by doing it. "You haven't even given us a chance, Emi… I thought a _Hero_ like you would _promote_ fair play and give others the benefit of the doubt… Ever since you've gotten here, all you've done is doubt and insult me…"

I gritted my teeth before responding furiously, his remarks touching a very particular nerve within me. "If I was really a _Hero_ like you say I am, you'd've been dead a few years ago, _Demon King_. And if you value your life, you'll leave the subject alone!"

"Whoa there, Miss I-saved-Ente-Isle-from-you… Even if I am an employee here, I _am_ your boss at MgRonald's, remember? And you still owe me a debt..." he articulated cleanly and teasingly, his voice trailing off until it became just loud enough for me to hear. Even if the café had been chock full of customers, the two of us would've been the only ones to hear our exchange.

"I just hope this stuff is healthier than MgRonald's… You wouldn't believe how much sugar is in one of those milkshakes…" I grumbled, lacking anything more profound to respond with.

 _Just when I thought it was almost safe to down a few of those milkshakes… Running into that "secret" formula was not a pleasant experience… I still have nightmares about piles of ingredients chasing me down an aisle and forcing me to swallow them until I throw up…_

"Actually, I was the one who came up with our new blend for milkshakes, so, yeah… I know exactly how much sugar is in those," he grinned, his eyes brightening at the mention of one of his _many_ (and I say many because the Demon King is not only a brilliant innovator, employee, manager, homeowner, businessman, and expert on the female psyche, but he also just happens to be unconditionally modest) achievements.

"Yet another thing that puts you on the top spot on my list," I exaggerated a groan to indicate my sheer care, or rather, lack thereof.

"Well, Emi, I hope that's a list of awesome people, 'cause that's the only place you'd find someone like me!" the Demon King retorted, pulling the chair directly across from me out and cleanly placing himself in it.

 _God, he's as irritating as ever… But we haven't crossed the line today, so that's a start…_

"Wh-why are you being so… civil today? Usually we're at each other's throats by now but today, you're… not instigating… anything…"

The Demon King's behavior genuinely sparked a curiosity within me, and I wasn't one to just let myself go unsatisfied…

After all, if I was that type, would I be sitting in a café full of sweets, moments away from indulging myself in this… surprisingly well-decorated devil's food cake?

The Demon King turned his gaze away from me, but didn't bother to conceal the fact that even he didn't have a clear-cut response to my question prepared.

"You're taking Alas tonight, aren't you?"

 _Answering a question… with a question… How utterly intelligent of you, Overlord…_

 _If I had 100 ¥ for every time someone's done that… I don't think I'd have to work a day in my life ever again, as long as I invested it in the right places…_

"Well… yeah… I thought I'd stop by after a quick bite… But did you expect me to let her stay at the Devil's Castle under Alciel and Lucifer's _divine, sacred_ protection, Demon King?"

He bit his lip, knowing full well what he would have to say but completely unwilling to concede that victory to me.

"Giving you cake is the least of what I can do for Alas… Maybe you still think of me as the Demon King, but even then… You know, the Demon King happens to be a man in possession of many diverse gifts and characteristics… Not among them is a man who shirks his responsibilities…"

 _Dodging my question, are we? Or maybe… Maybe this is your twisted mind's way of answering it?_

The Overlord sighed, as if he'd been Atlas for a decade, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for the entirety of 10 years, and had just now been relieved of his duties. For the slightest fraction of a second, I could've sworn I saw a smile come to his face.

But that was before a melancholic look appeared on his visage…

It wasn't like I'd never seen him suffer before… I'd seen him laugh, go partially insane, get so mad he could tear down a building… But anguish…

Sorrow wasn't exactly on the list of a demon's frequented emotional pit stops… Especially not this one's… Demons don't have many regrets, and the Demon King was no exception.

"I'm the perfect parent, aren't I? Never there, always in the background when I should be in the limelight… Whenever I get a chance to help out, I pass it off to you and that's that… Alas hardly ever sees me, and when she does, it's basically in passing… I've spent more time shopping with Ashiya than I have doing anything with Alas… And if she ever drags you down to my house to see me, I brush her off and go to work… I treat her like she doesn't exist… And Alas practically worships the two of us…"

"A-Are you all right?" I asked, sincerely questioning the Demon King's sanity at this point in time.

 _Maybe he's finally been in this world for too long and since he hasn't gotten anywhere, he's completely broken?_

The Overlord leapt out of his chair, went behind the counter and grabbed two bags, one plastic, one cloth. He handed it to me, pulling out a cardboard container.

"You haven't touched the cake the entire time we've been here… So it wouldn't hurt to wait a little while longer, now, would it? Hurry up and put your cake in here, then in the bag… Take it home and give a little to Alas for me, will you?" the Demon King hesitated before beginning again. "Please… Tell her I said hi, too… And that I'll make up for it, alright?"

 _Yup, something's definitely up here… There's no way in hell the Demon King could actually care enough to say those words…_

 _I didn't know please was even a word in his vocabulary until now…_

"Don't tell me you actually care about her, _Maou_?"

"Hey, even demons are allowed to care once in a while… Although if you have to know, it's purely out of self-interest, Emi… You see, I can't sleep at night if I keep hearing Alas's voice asking me to play with her or feed her or brush her teeth or push her on the swings or… You know… Just gotta keep my conscience clean, is all," the Demon King replied indignantly, dismissing the very thought.

 _The Demon King hasn't made eye contact with me during this entire thing… Something's definitely different about him right now… It's like he's… human…_

 _Well, he's been human…_

 _But it's like he actually has emotion… Emotions, plural…_

 _And he's… he's opening up to me?_

 _Well, by now, I know that I have something for him… Either it's a very strong hatred…_

 _Or it's that_ _ **other**_ _thing…_

 _But if we… Oh, God… This is the part where he confesses his undying love for me, isn't it?_

 _No. No, no, no! I won't let that happen… I'll kill him before he gets the chance to even try to say those words to me!_

 _But if he does, then…_

 _Why is my life turning out to be some badly-written shojo manga?_

"You… have a conscience?" I inquired, amazed that such a thing was possible for the self-proclaimed Lord of Evil, the Devil incarnate.

"We live in Japan, Emi… Anything's possible," he nonchalantly responded as we walked out the door and he pulled out a set of keys.

 _Well, now's a good a time as any to pose the question… I guess sometimes the girl has to interrogate him into confessing, right?_

"Hey… Maou?"

He simply glared intently at me, not bothering to open his mouth to confirm that I had the right of way to continue my interrogation. The clear-cut acknowledgement only made it more tense between us, and I think even Maou had the sense to guess at what would happen next.

"Do you, er… Possibly… uh, have… feelings for anyone?" I asked him, feeling my face flush as the words came out of my mouth.

 _Has a more cliché line ever come out of anyone's mouth? God, I bet even Chiho would be more subtle…_

The Demon King simply smirked and looked me in the eye. "If by feelings, you mean hatred, then yes, and it's mostly directed towards you for messing up the drink machine four times last week alone," he replied, in his best attending-to-a-customer-at-Mgronald's voice.

"The store's closed-closed now, so I'm off to MgRonald's for some more fun… Don't think I meant any of that nonsense I spouted about Alas though, alright, Emi?"

It was one of those moments when you want desperately to say something but you feel it best not to say anything and let the storm pass without questioning why it came.

And in the blink of an eye, the certainty that I once had… about the Demon King… about my past… about my future, both in this world and on Ente Isle… All of that certainty flies out the window.

 _Should've just killed him when I had the chance!..._

Some may say that wandering the streets of Japan at night – after dark, anyways- is an extremely bad idea…

However, those people aren't gifted with the powers of a Sacred Sword… Even a broken Sacred Sword is strong enough to defend against a few petty muggers.

As I walked along the sidewalk, I constantly checked in all directions, simply to ensure that nothing would creep up on me.

It wasn't paranoia or anything, just a harmless self-defense maneuver… No one can sneak up on the Hero… No one at all, not even Alas can get past my detection. Reaching Devil's castle, I was surprised to see that there wasn't a light on in the entire building… This section of town seemed darker than the rest; the housing next to it was brightly lit, but even the street lamp next to Devil's Castle managed just a bare flickering on and off.

 _It truly is strange… Like I'm walking into a horror movie's murder scene… That light was fixed just last month, but now, it's broken… In such a short span of time, something like this is definitely unnatural…_

 _Something's thrown the Overlord off his rocker… Maybe it affected Devil's Castle, too?_

I walked up the stairs, careful not to trip on a single one, making special note of the newest "problem step" and making full use of my fairly long legs to pass it, taking two steps on at a time. Thankfully, this time, there were no casualties.

I knocked on the door three times as per the Demon King's usual request, waiting the customary full 10 seconds before giving up and pulling the spare key Alciel had thoughtfully provided in case they were too occupied to answer their door.

 _Usually, Alciel gives me the time of day by now, even if Luficer is too lazy to get up and say something…_

I thrust the key in and turned, but to no avail. Jiggling the lock amounted to absolutely nothing, and as a last resort, I rummaged around in my purse for a paperclip. Luckily, I managed to find one…

Unluckily, the only paperclip I had was at the very bottom of a seemingly-bottomless purse, and in the time that it took me to find it, I probably could've gone to a Seiya and bought another pack…

I twisted, bended, and curved the paperclip until I could get it to fit through the lock, but before I inserted my makeshift key, I heard a faint noise.

 _Alas? Well, if Lucifer and Alciel aren't there, then it has to be her… And she's been told not to open the door for random strangers before…. Guess she must be in there, then…_

 _Oh, God, please tell me she's okay… Please tell me that Lucifer and Alciel haven't done anything to her…_

 _Those bastards, leaving her completely alone in there, vulnerable to anybody, from anywhere, at any time…_

 _What am I thinking, she's perfectly okay, no one would be dumb enough to take on Alas knowing that I'm not that far behind…_

 _Unless that person is powerful beyond measure… Then… But then it wouldn't matter at all… I wouldn't stand a chance, but then they really wouldn't need a Yesod fragment or two, now, would they?_

 _But Alas… Poor Alas… She must be really scared all alone in there by herself in the dark… I remember the first time I turned off the lights without realizing she was there…_

 _These two are complete idiots, though, leaving a kid in the dark all by herself… Don't know why they'd leave her in the dark though… Don't they have a single ounce of common sense… Are they trying to get her killed?!_

 _Well, they aren't exactly the most practical people I've met…_

I put my ear to the door, trying to glean some more insight into what was going on in the room before I broke the door down by force. Slowing my breathing and tuning out the residual noise in the hallway, I listened in, hearing movement and a hum… a humming that changed pitch quite frequently.

I checked my watch for time instinctively, realizing that it was now well past 7.

On a normal night, Alas would be asleep by now, wouldn't she?

 _Wait one second…_

 _Damnit , I forgot to try their blueberry pie!_

* * *

A/N: Yes, I realize that some of it was cringe-worthy, and I'll probably want to rewrite it at some point… But the plot is moving somewhere, at least, although we have yet to see any truly _romantic_ interactions between our star-crossed lovers. And if you guys feel like you know who the well-dressed man is… Don't spoil it, please?

Anyways, that's all I have for this week… Tune in next week for more? And if you have any thoughts, feedback, advice/suggestions, feel free to review… or PM me , either way works… Or show up at my doorstep, although I hope none of you know exactly where I live…

~Lefauxlucifer


	4. The Hero Emilia tries to be punny

A/N: Morning, how is everyone?

Makoto ni moushiwake gozaimasen deshita! Which I believe that, according to the internet, is used by dishonored folks when they've done something really, truly, horribly wrong… Like not finishing their work for 4-5 days…

* * *

Chapter 4: The Hero Emilia tries to be punny!

 _Emi Yusa_

I put my ear to the door, trying to glean some more insight into what was going on in the room before I broke the door down by force. Slowing my breathing and tuning out the residual noise in the hallway, I listened in, hearing movement and a hum… a humming that changed pitch quite frequently.

I checked my watch for time instinctively, realizing that it was now well past 7.

On a normal night, Alas would be asleep by now, wouldn't she?

I eased the bent paperclip carefully through the lock, so that even if someone was inside, they wouldn't hear a thing. Hoping that my makeshift key was adequate, I attempted a skill that proved to be, time and time again, one of the most valuable things I had the pleasure of learning from Rika.

How, when, or even where she acquired such levels of expertise in this art was a mystery to even me, but Rika Suzuki was, if anything, practically impractical. Why she thought something like this would be useful to me is even more of an enigma… After all, which one of your friends teaches you how to pick a lock? Successfully?... I remember it like it was yesterday…

A quaint summer evening… It was June, no July… I should've known in the beginning that nothing good would come of the first time, the time we opened the door of Rika's then-latest ex-boyfriend and lined the walls with glue and glitter, but here I am, 453 lock-picked doors later, with the 454th under way…

As I thrust the paperclip in deeper, I felt it reach a wall of metal, and as it passed said barrier gently, a loud click emanated from the lock.

 _That click was incessantly audible… It might wake Alas up if she isn't already… and it would alert anyone in that room that someone's coming in and that someone isn't a complete idiot…_

 _I guess that makes this moment do-or-die, huh?_

 _Just pretend that this is the Demon King behind this door, and that you have to kill him quickly? Easy as pie!_

 _Blueberry pie…_

I twisted the doorknob instinctively, my right wrist now bent in an abnormal position to the common man. My left hand let go of the paperclip -it's purpose in life was finished- and summoned my sacred sword, Better Half.

Although broken without the immense power of Alas=Ramus, Better Half was a sacred sword nonetheless, and could hold its own against any of the lower angels for long enough that by the time Alas merged with it, we'd be fine… Assuming Alas was still in Demon King's Castle…

Of course, if she wasn't in here, I'd have no reason not to run…

 _And this, Overlord, is why we can't have nice things… I let you take care of a child for a full 24 hours and my life turns into a badly-written horror movie…_

 _I don't even want to know what'd happen to Alas if I wasn't around to lend a helping hand…_

I burst into the room faster than light itself, in possession of greater ferocity than I'd ever had at the front lines in Ente Isle. Entering the room, I found that I couldn't see my hands, much less my sword or even what was in front of me… It was a different kind of darkness entirely, or rather, a sheer absence of light, and unable to absorb anything, my eyes faltered in the face of such a foe.

The humming briefly paused for a moment, as if the one humming had become unsure of the melody. The tune was familiar, and it stopped at a very particular spot… The end of the song, if my guess was correct. Whoever timed all of this out had remarkable foresight… Or perhaps sheer dumb luck. Either way, another's blood would be on my hands after tonight.

However annoying the humming was in the first place, it was a far cry better than an awkward silence. The room was eerily quiet, to the point where I could hear someone exhale and inhale without a care of being noticed before breaking out into full-blown song.

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word… Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird," came the low tune from a mysteriously pleasant male voice. "And if that mockingbird won't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring…"

 _Is… the Demon King here? Of all places? I mean, he had Alas here for the entire night… There was no reason to claim he had a shift at MgRonald's and tell me he wouldn't be able to take care of her if he was going to lie, right?_

"And if that diamond ring turns brass, Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass…"

 _But still, I have to admit that the Overlord can sing, despite being evil and all… He might make for a half-decent pop idol with enough training; that is, if he wasn't obsessed with taking over the world and destroying everything I know and love…_

For a moment, I could've sworn I saw a pair of crimson eyes through the thick darkness that shrouded the room. For a full moment.. In that span of time, it didn't simply pause and stare at my being, or even ogle it, as Sariel would… But rather, it grazed me, like the sharpest blade known to man would, if pressed against my pale skin. It was intentful, suffocating, almost as if hands sprouted from the air and grasped at my throat.

And then, it stopped instantaneously, impulsively, the voice starting again on the third line.

"And if that looking glass gets broke, Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat…"

The lights came on as I heard someone snap their fingers briskly, and the sound echoed throughout the room. Whatever magic this foe possessed was powerful indeed, but not beyond the combined power of Alas and I.

The voice began humming again as my eyes shifted around the room, glancing briefly at the usually messy floor… It was clean today, spotless even. This wasn't a product of Ashiya's work; it couldn't be… No one human could make something so clean and tidy. The residual MgRonald's containers are out of sight, in a trash can, I assume. The somewhat-necessary job ads, seemingly useful articles, newspapers, all neatly stacked in piles, and the floor even shone, enough that I could see my reflection in it.

The humming quieted as my eyes drifted to the center of the room.

"I must apologize for my behavior, Miss Justina… I really am terribly sorry, you see… You've been waiting for quite a while outside, and I didn't even bother to do so much as lift a finger and open the door for you… And after I was graciously entrusted with the run of this fortress as well…" the strange man mused, his hands sifting through Alas's hair soothingly as he rocked back and forth on a chair with her in his lap.

His jet-black hair was as dark as the single room of the Demon King's stronghold used to be, and waved ever-so-slightly as he swayed upon the chair. He projected a purely nonchalant air, as if the world moved when he did, and waited for him to begin again before it could continue.

He looked me in the eye before lifting Alas up like one would with a fragile plate of china, so cautiously that Alas barely stirred as he set her on one of the provisional beds I'd convinced the Demon King to buy just weeks earlier.

 _Justina? Is this man… from Ente Isle? Is he…? Is he one of the Demon King's allies?_

 _Or maybe this one's a general?_

 _I mean, if Lucifer didn't die by my blade, there's no reason to believe the other two did…_

 _With three of his four generals assembled, the Demon King would really be able to pull something off, wouldn't he ?_

 _Something so earth-shattering, something so ground-breaking that he wouldn't care about his goals in this world anymore… Something so awe-inspiring that he wouldn't even mind giving away cake to his worst enemy… Because it wouldn't matter anymore…_

My mind raced through thoughts, passing them like a Porsche passes Honda Odyssey minivans on the freeway before I was capable of coherent sentences."Maou usually lets me in anyways, so it's fine, don't worry about it…But I do have to ask…Do I know you… Mister…?" I managed to articulate pridefully, making my standing as a warrior to not be crossed quite clear.

"Well, even if you don't know me at first glance… There isn't a soul who hasn't heard of you, Hero Emilia, champion of the human resistance, savior of the people, vanquisher of the Demon King's forces, may she live long and well…" the words left his mouth inspiringly, as if he meant every inch of it. The man got up, brushing what appeared to be dust off of a finely-tailored crisp black suit that matched his hair color, complete with a white shirt and a patterned green tie. Normally, I'd've suggested avoiding green, but as the man smiled widely at me, no one could tell him that he didn't make it work.

"As for me, well… Here's my card…" he pulled out a piece of neatly-cut paper from an inside pocket and offered it to me.

"Michael Archna," I said softly to myself, trying to figure out if I'd ever heard that name before. As I read the card, I found his contact information and a rather peculiar item of note: the card listed him as the owner of Crimson Devil's Island Café…

 _This man… was the Demon King's boss…_

 _And this man also knew exactly who I was… Who I still am…_

 _Well, the Demon King's crafty, bringing a interesting guy from Ente Isle over here, but it's nothing I can't beat if given the time…_

"That's the name, don't wear it out," the man chuckled to himself as he walked calmly out of the Devil's Castle, running a hand through his slicked-back hair. As he brushed past me, I felt the heat drain from my body and lost any sense of feeling in my hands. As I attempted to stare him down, I found myself unable to move an inch, though I wasn't sure whether that was out of fear or due to potent magic.

As the door closed behind me, I looked to a sleeping Alas, her hair strewn about as the faintest of smiles was visible on her face. Apparently she sensed not the slightest ounce of danger from this… Michael… if that is his real name…

I strode over to her on tiptoes, plastic bag in hand, and kneeled at the edge of her bed, gently whispering into her ear.

 _Better not wake her up before I'm ready to suffer the consequences… I've made it this far without being crushed by Alas, no reason to start now…_

Although Alas was by no means an ordinary child, the casual passerby might've thought that she would wake up in some conventional way, yawning, stretching her arms, and going back to sleep.

Without even opening her eyes, Alas stood up on the bed in one swift motion, then jumped, heading straight for me. After a successful landing in my arms, she sneezed, not violently in the least.

"Mommy!" Alas Ramus called out uninhibitedly, locking her arms around my neck. If she was as strong as Rika, I figure this would've suffocated me, but thankfully, the worst she could do was still in the realm of a tight embrace.

I set Alas down, remembered my planned course of action before it was interrupted by someone who isn't beyond breaking and entering, and carefully retrieved the sugary masterpiece from its container. The presentation was nearly perfect, chocolate flecks arranged flawlessly into the shape of several barely-visible flowery entities. Opening one of the few drawers of the Demon King's castle, I took what I needed before sitting down on the floor across from Alas, criss-cross-applesauce (or so I am told the position is called).

 _Someday, I'd like to have a chat with whoever came up with these names for seated positions… If the best they could come up with was criss-cross-applesauce…_

 _Sitting down doesn't even have anything to do with applesauce!_

I almost shed a tear as I handed a spoon to Alas before taking one for myself. The frosting was palatable, I will admit, and worthy of the effort it took to take the slightest bit of for a taste. Spoon in hand, Alas and I attacked the cake with all our might, hoping to savor the first bite.

The devil's food cake was delectable, dulcified, but didn't breach the limits of sweetness. Just when I thought the treat bordered on the edge of too rich a chocolate flavor, I was hit with a gingery piquant taste, something that crossed blades fervently with the formerly-overwhelming chocolaty flavor. Like two sides of a coin, the opposing forces sought to tear apart my taste buds before violently fading away into nothingness. The clash of such a fiery sensation and the charming chocolate was well-planned on the chef's part, and I felt it was definitely worth more than I paid for it, or rather, didn't pay for it.

 _Artistically, the combination of the two would definitely win the chef points… Although realistically, no one would want to eat a cake like this one…_

Alas, however, had different ideas…

"Gwah… Is ha', mommy, is ha'!" she exclaimed, waving her hands over her tongue in an attempt to fan out metaphorical flames. "I nee' wata', mommy, wata'" Alas cried, hobbling over to the sink as fast as her legs could carry her. Getting up, I beat her there and pulled a plain glass cup out of the cupboard, filling it up with milk out of a carton from the Demon King's recently-bought groceries and then giving it to her.

 _Rika once told me that milk is much better for resolving spice issues than plain old water… Let's see how true that one was, I guess?_

As Alas downed the contents of the cup, I went over to the plate and mused a little, concerned and awed by this creation.

 _Wait… The Demon King gave me this cake knowing full well what was in it…_

 _And he gave it to me for free so that I'd have to take it…_

 _That sly devil. When I catch him, there won't be an Ente Islan powerful enough to get between him and my Holy Sword…_

 _He'll beg for mercy… He'll wish he hadn't tried something so cruel on such a poor little girl!_

 _I'll just add this to my list of transgressions that Satan's made thus far…One more reason to beat the living hell out of him…_

 _Get it, Emi? Hell?_

 _Hahahahaha, well, nobody can laugh because I'm talking to myself but it was still really funny… Maybe I'll tell Rika about it sometime, or maybe Chiho…._

The Demon King had introduced it as devil's food cake, and the evil within it was clearly visible (note: my tongue still burns a little), but it seemed rather odd for a cake to be anything but sweet.

 _Although it wasn't bitter, it certainly wasn't characteristic of your usual cake… The delicacy, if it could be called that… seems inspired, right down to the décor… I guess it's piqued my interest…_

 _I might just have to go back and ask how they came up with this at the café… I might even find out a little more about the Demon King's sinister plans…_

 _And maybe I'll even run into this Michael fellow while I'm there and we can chat more about how he knows Hero Emilia and why I don't know him…_

Alas looked up at me, holding out an empty cup, still breathing rather heavily. "Tha's not ca', mommyyyyy… I wan' ca' an' na' dis…"

A single tear could be found beginning at Alas's outer eyelid and continuing on to streamline her cheek, though I was unsure as to whether the tear erupted from exhaustion or actual sorrow.

After I calmed Alas down, I took her hand and began to lead her warily out the door when my phone vibrated for what seemed to be the millionth time that day.

*Ping*

 _If this is the Overlord again, bothering me at ungodly hours… Someone's going to die, and it isn't not going to be him…_

"Why don't you stop by tomorrow and grab something, on the house? –Michael"

* * *

A/N: It's been so long that I've forgotten what I usually say here, but…

Um, yeah, hope you all enjoyed it even though nothing really happened in this installment and hope y'all decide to review and tell me what you thought? Next time, non-plot things will actually happen…

And sorry that this is both short and late… Work was killing me and summer marching band drove the final nail into that coffin, not that anyone cares…

Loaves and fishes,

~Lefauxlucifer


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